ScienceSeptember 1, 2026

olivary

OL-ih-vair-ee

Definition

Relating to the olive, an oval-shaped structure in the brainstem, specifically referring here to the inferior olivary nucleus, which is involved in relaying sensory and motor information to the cerebellum.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'oliva' (olive), due to the physical resemblance of the brain structure to the shape of an olive. The term was adopted into medical anatomy to describe these specific brainstem nuclei.

In the news

The article uses the term to identify specific neurons in the brain that, when activated by psychedelics, disrupt sensory gating and contribute to the psychedelic experience.

Scientists May Have Misjudged How Psychedelics Work

Read the full article ↗

Technology Networks

Related words

Learn words like this every day

Meet new words every morning.

Newspoken pulls carefully chosen words from the day’s news — with clear definitions, context, and light review that makes them stick. Get it on your phone.